Is Superman Jewish? His Creators Were

Before he became the world’s greatest superhero, Superman was a villainous, bald telepath bent on world domination.

But his transformation into the iconic protector of justice was shaped by two Jewish teenagers from Cleveland, whose lives of poverty and prejudice gave birth to the ultimate immigrant success story.

Superman's roots, like those of his creators, are a story of struggle, resilience, and the power of reinvention.

The story of how Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster used their imagination to create Superman. His origin story, and theirs, is told on the Unpacked website.

Enjoy!

Singer/Songwriter of "Superman (It's Not Easy)" Rededicates Song to Gaza Hostages

Singer/Songwriter John Ondrasik released his hit song Superman (It's Not Easy) in 2001 and it quickly became an anthem for first responders, men and women in uniform, and the broken everyday people working to heal our country from the 9/11 attack.

Now, 24 years later, Ondrasik, who is better known by his stage name, Five for Fighting, has written an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal explaining how the song has found a second life dedicated to Alon Ohel and the other hostages being held in captivity in the tunnels of Gaza.

Ondrasik, who is not Jewish but is married to Jewish executive producer Carla Berkowitz – with whom he has two children, writes:

I turned to “Superman,” hoping to remind the world that the hostages are people, not statistics. They are brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, husbands and wives. Music would bring out this shared humanity after the Jewish people experienced their worst trauma since the Holocaust, just like music uplifted an America shattered by 9/11. 

In this video Ondrasik collaborates with current hostage Alon Ohel’s mother Idit, brother Ronen, and family and friends with this new version of Superman to support Alon and all hostages and their families.